The upcoming stage version of “Life of Brian” will include the iconic Loretta scene. This was reported by actor John Cleese on his Twitter account, although he also acknowledged that American actors, "several of them Tony winners," had asked him to cut out the part in which a male character claims to be a woman and wants to give birth to a child. "You can't do that stuff about Loretta nowadays," the actors told him, according to British media.
Cleese announced that this scene would be kept in response to a tweet from the NGO Hacked Off. The non-governmental organization noted in its post that misinformation was the second leading reason why Britons distrust the media. The Monty Python member then wrote that the information that surfaced about the alleged cancellation was an example of misinformation, because he had never stated that he would give in to requests for censorship from the woke mob.
So someone in the audience had called a journalist and misreported me. Amazingly none of the British media called to check.
Cleese also denied that the song “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life” would be deleted. The comedian later confirmed this information in response to a user who begged him to keep the song. "Only one difficulty," Cleese replied,"Python never set out to do exactly what the audience expected!"
Only one difficulty
Python never set out to do exactly what the audience expected ! https://t.co/CmP8AdhMf5
— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) May 25, 2023
Shots at the industry
In two subsequent tweets, Cleese criticized both actors and producers.
Regarding the former, he said he found their attitude "surprising." Those who recommended that he remove the Loretta scene for, allegedly, not conforming to current sensibilities were "top-class Broadway performers." Moreover, they were "adamant that we would not get away with doing the scene in NYC!"
That was what was so surprising
These were absolutely top-class Broadway performers and they were adamant that we would not get away with doing the scene in NYC!
I asked them "Are Python fans not going to come because we're doing a scene they've been laughing at for 40 years ?" https://t.co/EJX6pQdKWe
— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) May 25, 2023
He then took aim at producers. When another user opined that it would be "really sad" for current fans to cancel a play that ignited the fury of decades-old fans after its premiere. Cleese responded that the producers were "scaredy-cats" and had a short memory: they did not remember that the protests in New York over the film's arrival on the big screen in 1979 were its best publicity.
Producers tend to be scaredy-cats, and they don't remember that the protests in NYC when 'Brian' was released meant we never needed to do publicity !! https://t.co/MbhLhhFWSW
— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) May 25, 2023
Brian's 'new' life
The theatrical version of the Monty Python feature film will hit theaters in London next year.
Although the Loretta scene will remain, the new version will feature two changes, the Daily Mail reported. Cleese, for the moment, neither confirmed nor denied any of them.
The first is a new scene at the beginning of the play. This had originally been written for the film, but ultimately omitted. There will also be a new love interest for the protagonist: Fiona Pilate, Pilate's wife.
